


A New Kind of Happy

by unbrokengibberish



Series: Gallavich Week 2014 [1]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Bipolar Disorder, Boyfriends, M/M, mostly fluff after the initial angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-15
Updated: 2014-06-15
Packaged: 2018-02-04 19:05:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1789897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unbrokengibberish/pseuds/unbrokengibberish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey Milkovich and happiness were about as synonymous as Darth Vadar and sunshine. He didn’t have a happy life—he had come to terms with that. He could probably count on one hand all the times he had been truly happy in his life, and he could guarantee you that there was one common factor in each of those moments—Ian Gallagher.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Kind of Happy

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Day One of Gallavich Week --- Together

Mickey Milkovich and happiness were about as synonymous as Darth Vadar and sunshine. He didn’t have a happy life—he had come to terms with that. He could probably count on one hand all the times he had been truly happy in his life, and he could guarantee you that there was one common factor in each of those moments—Ian Gallagher. 

So when Fiona Gallagher had uttered the words bipolar disease in such a disconnected voice, all Mickey could think was that his happiness was being taken away from him, the happiness that he had just achieved. He shouldn’t have been surprised. He wasn’t one of those people that just got to be happy, but it hit him hard. 

How was this boy who had helped Mickey achieve something he had never thought possible—freedom—so broken? Ian Gallagher was supposed to be Mickey’s rock. He was supposed to help Mickey be happy, especially after everything they had done to get to this place where they could finally be together, together. 

After Fiona had left, Mickey wandered over to his bedroom door, leaned against the doorframe, and just watched the broken boy who he loved so much. He couldn’t admit it out loud yet, but he could admit it to himself. Especially now. There was no turning back, not that he wanted to turn back. It was time for him to be Gallagher’s rock, to be there for Ian like Ian had been there for him one way or another. 

 

 

A few days later, Mickey was lying next to a still for the most part unmoving Ian, and he was beginning to think that maybe Fiona knew what she was talking about. Maybe Gallagher did need to see a doctor. However much Mickey hated doctors, he hated seeing Ian like this a million times more. 

Mickey stared at the ceiling running through the different options he had about what to do. Would Ian just snap out of it? Would he go back to being Ian—his Ian? Or would he always be like this—not moving, not eating, just lying there? Or would he go back to the hyperactive dancer waking up at 5 am after maybe an hour of sleep to make pancakes? Mickey didn’t really like the idea of that either. He just wanted his Ian back, his rock, the only good thing in his fucked up life. 

He felt the bed move a little as Ian rolled over to face him. He didn’t really think he was trying to look at him, but he had been moving ever so slightly back and forth over the last few days and Mickey needed to pretend that he still cared for him. 

“Mickey?” A scratchy voice sounded closer to his ear that he anticipated, being as he hadn’t been anticipating anything at all. 

He snapped his head to the side so fast he thought he’d get whiplash. Hazel-green eyes were staring at him with more life in them that he’d seen in days. “Ian?” 

Ian didn’t smile, which almost broke Mickey’s heart, but screw his damned heart Ian had talked. That had to mean something. 

“I don’t want to be like her,” Ian’s voice sounded just above a whisper, but Mickey was so hyper focused on him that he heard him loud and clear. A tear fell down the side of Ian’s cheek and Mickey’s hand was there to catch it in record time. 

Mickey knew what he meant. He had told him everything about Monica over the years since the day he showed up on the Milkovich doorstep needing Mickey. Mickey knew that was the first day that he had every been truly needed, and if he was honest with himself it was the day that Ian Gallagher had fully worked his way into Mickey’s heart, a place he would stay forever. 

Mickey nodded slowly at Ian as his hand came up to caress Ian’s face. Ian closed his eyes at Mickey’s touch and tears silently leaked down his cheeks. Mickey decided that his decision had been made for him—not that it had ever really been his decision. He waited for Ian to fall back asleep and pulled the covers further up to cover Ian’s shoulders. He stroked his head again like he had done that first morning and slowly and quietly left the room. 

He picked up Ian’s phone, which was in the living room. 

“Ian?” Fiona’s frantic voice sounded on the other end of the line and he internally flinched a little at how desperate she sounded. 

“It’s uh… Mickey,” he said. 

“Oh. Hi.” 

“I think you were right. I don’t think I can do this on my own,” he paused so he wouldn’t do some girly shit like cry or some shit. “But I want to help. I want to do whatever I can do.” 

“Thank you,” Fiona breathed into the phone. He could hear her crying. “I’m gonna call the clinic and set up an appointment. I’ll come by after work.” 

“Ok.” He didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t want Ian going to the clinic, but he knew it was the only option. 

“Mickey…” Fiona stopped him just before he was about to hang up. “You’re doing the right thing. Just watch him, ok?” 

“Yeah. See ya.” And Mickey hung up the phone. Little did he know that that one simple phone call would be the beginning to him getting his happiness back. 

 

 

Months later, Mickey was sitting at the Gallagher kitchen table waiting for Ian to get back from school. It was his first day back, since he had gotten his medicine regulated and quit working at the club realizing that getting his high school diploma was probably more important than grinding on old dudes all day.

Mickey had been staying at the Gallaghers since Ian had gone to the clinic. He had asked Mickey to stay with him and Mickey was quickly learning there was little he could deny Ian Gallagher. He impatiently drummed his fingers against the table as Fiona came down the stairs. 

“What’s with you?” She asked him heading to the fridge. She was on her way to work, but Mickey knew she wanted to see Ian after school too. 

“Nothing,” Mickey said as his eyes darted between her and the front door. He didn’t know why he was nervous, but letting Ian out of his sight was becoming harder and harder. 

Fiona gave him a look that screamed bullshit as she pulled a beer out of the fridge and handed it to Mickey sitting next to him at the table. 

“He’s gonna be alright,” she said as she awkwardly patted his hand resting on the table. He had gotten closer to Fiona over the months that they had been helping to care for Ian. He actually kinda liked her. 

He opened the beer and took a sip noticing that his hands were shaking a little and when did he become such a damn girl. 

The front door opened and in came Ian, Carl, and Debbie all laughing and smiling. Mickey’s breath caught a little in his throat at the look of pure elation on Ian’s face. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of seeing Ian Gallagher’s smile. 

He stood up from the table, but didn’t really know what to do with himself so he just fucking stood there like a fucking idiot. 

“Mick,” Ian came up to him and kissed him. Just like that in front of everyone. It wasn’t like they hadn’t kissed in front of the Gallaghers before, but that had been different. It had only been when Ian was in the hospital and scared and Mickey didn’t know what to do so he had kissed him. But this, this was different. Somehow Mickey didn’t care. He deepened the kiss a little and then pulled away as he felt a blush spread across his neck. 

“Ian and Mickey sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Debbie started singing. 

“Aren’t you too fucking old for stupid shit like that?” Mickey called after her as she bounded her way up the stairs. He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face though as he looked up at Ian who was looking at him like he had hung the moon or stars or some shit like that. “What?”  
“Nothing.” Ian shook his head a little and threw his backpack on the table before picking up Mickey’s beer and taking a long swig sitting down. 

“So how was it?” Mickey sat down at the table next to Ian. 

“It was alright. Kind of dumb. I feel like fucking old there, but I think it will be okay,” Ian smiled at Mickey who was probably looking at him like he hung the fucking moon. “Missed ya.” 

Mickey’s smile grew with the old familiar words. “I missed you too.” 

Fiona cleared her throat behind them and they jumped a little forgetting that she was there. “Sorry. I gotta get to work. You good with getting dinner?” She asked Ian as he stood up and nodded. 

“We’re all good here, Fi. Have fun.” He gave her a lingering hug that just made Mickey smile down at the table. He took another drink of the beer to hide it away. Mickey noticed he’d been smiling a lot more since Gallagher’d been back. 

Fiona yelled bye at them as she rushed out of the house, making sure she wouldn’t be late. 

“Do you got homework or shit?” Mickey asked taking another drink and finishing off the bottle. He got up to throw it away and get another one from the fridge. 

“No. It’s the first day, Mick. School isn’t that bad.” 

“You wanna watch something?” Mickey asked already making his way to the living room. He dropped onto the couch and turned on the TV as Ian came sauntering into the room. He plopped next to Mickey purposefully draping one long leg over Mickey’s legs. Mickey quirked an eyebrow at him, but did nothing to shove him off. 

They started watching some dumbass cop show, basically making fun of how unrealistic it was, when all of the sudden they weren’t watching the show anymore. 

Somehow Mickey was now straddling Gallagher on the couch and Ian was trailing kisses down Mickey’s jaw to his neck, where he stopped and sucked a little just until he could get a noise out of Mickey and then he’d trail his way back up to Mickey’s mouth. 

Mickey caught Gallagher’s bottom lip between his and sucked it into his mouth and then bit it a little for good measure making Ian groan, a noise that went straight to Mickey’s cock. Mickey licked his way into Ian’s mouth, where Ian’s tongue met his stroke for stroke. 

Mickey’s hand trailed down Ian’s front until he was grabbing him through his shorts. Ian’s moan was cut short by the sound of someone coming down the kitchen stairs. Both Mickey and Ian groaned simultaneously as Mickey climbed off Ian sitting next to him instead. 

Ian threw his arm around the back of the couch and Mickey scooted closer into him as Carl and Debbie came into the living room. 

“Whatcha watching?” Debbie asked oblivious to the older boys heavy breathing. Ian shrugged in answer as the kids sat on the floor in front of the couch. 

Mickey would have been annoyed if he wasn’t so damn happy. The Gallaghers were such a family. He had gotten used to them randomly wandering it at inopportune moments and if he had to be honest with himself, he didn’t totally hate it. 

After a few minutes, Ian nudged him and motioned for Mickey to join him in the kitchen.

“Sorry about that,” Ian said as he looked through the cupboards. He pulled out a packet of spaghetti and a jar of sauce. 

“No worries,” Mickey smirked at Ian as he filled up a pot with water and turned on the stove. 

Ian came up behind him at the stove and wrapped his arms around his waist and started kissing the back of his neck. “You’re kind of amazing, you know that right?” Ian whispered into his ear and he could feel the smile on Ian’s face that mirrored his own. 

“You’re not too bad yourself.” He turned around and Ian pushed him into the counter and attacked his lips with his own. 

“What are you and your boyfriend doing?” Debbie taunted from the next room. 

“None of your business, Debs,” Ian responded and Mickey tried not to flinch at Debbie’s choice of words. 

He knew they were together, but they hadn’t really defined the relationship with words and shit. Somehow no one had ever managed to use the word ‘boyfriend’ around him either, except that one time Carl thought he’d been asleep.

Ian was looking at him carefully gauging his reaction. 

“What?” 

“I don’t know,” Ian said unconvincingly. “No one has ever really used the ‘b-word’ before.” 

“Well… You’re my fucking boyfriend, aren’t you?” Mickey cringed at his own harshness, but Ian didn’t seem phased by it. 

“Only if you’re my boyfriend, asshole.” Ian was grinning that hundred-watt smile at him and he felt his insides melt. 

“Then I guess you’re my fucking boyfriend,” he muttered as he turned back to pour the spaghetti in the water. And if he had a hard time keeping the smile off of his face for the rest of the night, it was only because he was actually pretty fucking happy, so fuck you.

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive Criticism is always welcome and you can find me at Shamelessbanshees on Tumblr


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